Light emitting diodes (LED) may be packaged according to a number of known designs to form LED devices. As an example, a known packaging methodology has been developed in which a recess is created by drilling a hole in a printed circuit board (PCB). Then, a layer of reflective metal is deposited on the recess to provide a reflective surface, i.e. to direct the emitted light from the LED in an outward direction. The LED die may be attached within the recess. Wire bonding may occur to provide a current path to the LED. Transparent epoxy may be transfer molded over the LED die. The molded epoxy may protect the LED die from damage and contaminants. Also, the molded epoxy may be provided a lens-like shape to act as a rudimentary waveguide. An example of an LED device assembled utilizing this technique is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,174.
LED devices manufactured according to printed circuit board machining suffer from a number of disadvantages. The assembly methodology is inaccurate due to inability to control the dimension, depth, and position of the recess with a relatively high degree of accuracy. Furthermore, the printed circuit board machining process is relatively costly. Specifically, the necessity of a special purpose drill with a precise shape for the recess and a high reject rate contributes to relatively high cost associated with this fabrication technique. Further, the machining process only creates a circular shape thereby limiting the viewing angle. The reflective metal layer deposited on the recess does not have suitable adhesive strength with the transparent epoxy that is used to encapsulate the die and provide a lens. The lack of adhesive strength may result in de-lamination between the epoxy and the surface reflector when the epoxy shrinks after curing, during high temperature operation, and/or the like. The de-lamination may result in lifted LED die and other problems.